A Conversation with Brandi Swindell & Tea Party Bob
LISTEN HERE: IdahoRadio.com
Podcast Notes by Bob Neugebauer
In the heart of Idaho’s Treasure Valley, a movement is growing that’s reshaping how we think about women’s healthcare and life-affirming choices. Brandi Swindell, a fourth-generation Idahoan and the founder of Stanton Healthcare, has built an organization that’s not just changing lives locally but is expanding its reach across the nation and internationally.
Origins in Yellowstone
The story of Stanton Healthcare began in an unexpected place – Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 1997. As a young woman working at Roosevelt Lodge, Swindell encountered a situation that would forever change her life’s trajectory. Her roommate, a vibrant 21-year-old, faced an unexpected pregnancy and ultimately chose abortion despite Swindell’s efforts to offer support and alternatives.
“She was never the same girl from that moment forward,” Swindell recalls. “Her eyes were different, glazed over. I realized that the big lie is not only the tragedy that the life of the child is taken through a violent abortion procedure, but that this would somehow make women’s lives better.”
A Mission Takes Shape
This pivotal experience led Swindell to establish Stanton Healthcare in 2006, starting from humble beginnings in a donated space at Vineyard Boise church. The organization quickly grew, strategically positioning its first permanent clinic next to a Planned Parenthood facility to offer accessible alternatives to women seeking care.
Today, Stanton Healthcare has established a significant presence in the Treasure Valley. Their Boise wellness clinic provides essential follow-up care, while their comprehensive healthcare facility in Meridian offers full-service medical care with physician assistants and sonographers. Understanding the need to reach underserved communities, they also operate a 36-foot mobile medical clinic that travels throughout Idaho, bringing essential services directly to those who need them most.
Comprehensive Care Model
What sets Stanton apart is its holistic approach to supporting women. The organization provides all services free of charge, supported by a dedicated team of volunteer medical professionals including nurses, sonographers, medical assistants, and a volunteer medical director. Their support extends well beyond initial care, offering an 18-month program that includes practical assistance with essentials like diapers and baby clothes, along with ongoing emotional and practical support.
“The majority of women, over 60%, regret their decision to abort,” Swindell explains. “As many as one in four women have felt they’ve undergone a pressured or coerced, unwanted abortion. We need to stand with these women and support their brave choice to choose life.”
Growing Impact and Future Vision
Stanton Healthcare’s influence now reaches far beyond Idaho’s borders. The organization has established affiliates in Southern California and Michigan, while also maintaining an international presence in Northern Ireland. Their public policy center in Washington, D.C. works to shape national policy, with Swindell regularly testifying before Congress as an expert on life-affirming women’s care.
Looking toward the future, Stanton is developing innovative programs to support women globally. Their planned “Be Well” kits will provide essential pre- and postnatal care supplies to women in developing nations, offering an alternative to what Swindell describes as the export of abortion to these countries. Instead, Stanton aims to export hope and practical support.
Corporate Challenges and Community Support
Despite facing opposition, including legal challenges from Planned Parenthood, Stanton Healthcare has found strong community support. Local businesses, like Human Being Coffee, have stepped forward to partner with the organization, though Swindell notes that larger corporate support remains challenging due to political considerations.
A Vision for the Future
As Stanton Healthcare continues to grow, its mission remains focused on providing life-affirming care and support to women facing unexpected pregnancies. “Every woman around the nation and around the world deserves access to life-affirming care,” Swindell emphasizes. “Every brave decision that a woman makes deserves to be supported.”
Through its expanding network of clinics, mobile services, and international outreach, Stanton Healthcare is working to build what Swindell calls “a community of hope and healing and quality medical care” – one woman, one family, one community at a time.
LISTEN HERE: IdahoRadio.com
